Frazier takes Sample’s claims seriously

STORY SUMMARY »

Hawaii athletic director Herman Frazier knows of what he speaks when it comes to NCAA investigations.

He was an associate athletic director at Arizona State in 1994 when the Sun Devils were involved in a basketball point-shaving scandal. And Frazier was at the UH helm in 2003 when the Warriors were stripped of their 2002 men's volleyball national championship.

Frazier said yesterday it is possible the UH athletic department will be investigated by the NCAA due to allegations by former football player Ian Sample -- even though Frazier and others claim the accusations, including rigged drug testing and academic fraud, have no basis.

But Frazier finds the allegations serious enough to conduct his own meetings to look into them. He said he has huddled with officials from upper and lower campus five or six times since last Friday on the matter, sometimes bumping other items on his agenda.

An NCAA investigation of the University of Hawaii athletic department is possible following accusations by a former UH football player, athletic director Herman Frazier said yesterday.

"It's too early for me to tell right now," Frazier said. "We will know very quickly."

Passages deleted pre-publication from Ian Sample's book, "Once A Warrior," were posted on the Internet by the former Warriors receiver. They include allegations of rigged drug testing and widespread academic cheating, among other things.

UH has started its own investigation, Frazier said.

"The alleged things reported on the Internet are under review by the university," Frazier said. "We've already had four or five meetings since Friday. This takes precedent over some other things."

Ron Cambra is involved in the meetings. He is the assistant vice chancellor for undergraduate education and student academic athletic services.

Cambra is looking into Sample's allegation of papers being bought and sold by student-athletes.

"This is a big issue nationally, and not just with athletics," Cambra said. "Herman has asked us to sit down with the advisors and review with them, if they've seen discrepancies. We're going to look at everything he's brought up. Some of this, to be perfectly honest, is hard to monitor. I suspect even on upper campus there are always students looking to cut corners."

Hawaii last ran afoul of the NCAA in 2003; UH was stripped of the 2002 men's volleyball championship for use of an ineligible player, Costas Theocharidis. Because it was deemed a secondary infraction, a $5,000 fine was the only other penalty assessed the school.

Also in 2003, quarterback Tim Chang served a one-game suspension. UH broke a Western Athletic Conference rule when Chang played in the 2002 Hawaii Bowl without having earned six credits in the just-completed semester.

In other matters:

» Bids are out for the contract to replace the playing surface at Murakami Stadium with a Sept. 20 deadline.

Nov. 15 remains the deadline for installation, Frazier said.

» The final two games of the 2008 football schedule will be announced at the end of this month, the athletic director said.